Champions of the Great British Cheese

Nicola Jaques

King of the ‘dreamy creamies’ Graham Kirkham has proved top cheese again with Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese crowned champions at the Great British Cheese Awards

The multi-award winning Goosnargh cheese maker was named ‘Best Artisan Producer’ at the inaugural awards, launched earlier this year.

More than 7,500 members of the public took part in the voting to name their favourite cheeses, producers and retailers.

The winners were announced at a ceremony at The Gilbert Scott restaurant within The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London.

Graham Kirkham said: “I feel like these awards are really honest. There was a good gathering of fantastic cheesemakers and the judges were really good.

“The public voted as well and it was really nice to get them involved. The whole thing just has a really good feel to it and I’m so chuffed and happy to be a part of it.

“It’s nice to get recognition.

“When you win an award you realise it’s all worth it, because it is hard work and you can get bogged down just staring at the four walls of your dairy all day.

“To win just feels really fantastic.”

The new awards were set-up to promote and reward excellence in the artisan cheese industry with members of the public able to influence the shortlist of finalists.

Producers with the most votes were selected to the final, where a panel of judges including chef restaurateur and president of the Royal Academy of Culinary Brian Turner, actor and food blogger Adam Woodyatt and food journalist and cheese writer ger, Patrick McGuigan, decided the overall winners.

The famous raw Lancashire cheese, made at the family’s Beesley Farm in Mill Lane, has won numerous awards since Graham’s mum, Ruth, first started making producing it in 1978.

Ruth learned the cheese recipe from her mother Ruth Townley.

Each year Mrs Kirkham’s produce 90 tonnes of cheese that are sent to wholesalers and retailers across the UK and abroad